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Development and Applications of Microbial Ecogenomic Indicators for Monitoring Water Quality: Report of a Workshop Assessing the State of the Science, Research Needs and Future Directions

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Abstract

This article brings forth recommendations from a workshop sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) and Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (EMAP) Programs and by the Council of State Governments, held during May 2002 in Kansas City, Kansas. The workshop assembled microbial ecologists and environmental scientists to determine what research and science is needed to bring existing molecular biological approaches and newer technologies arising from microbial genomic research into environmental monitoring and water quality assessments. Development of genomics and proteomics technologies for environmental science is a very new area having potential to improve environmental water quality assessments. The workshop participants noted that microbial ecologists are already using molecular biological methods well suited for monitoring and water quality assessments and anticipate that genomics-enabled technologies could be made available for monitoring within a decade. Recommendations arising from the workshop include needs for (i) identification of informative microbial gene sequences, (ii) improved understandings of linkages between indicator taxa, gene expression and environmental condition, (iii) technological advancements towards field application, and (iv) development of the appropriate databases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL, 32561, USA

    Richard Devereux

  2. Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 409 Bruce M. Eberhart Building, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Parke Rublee

  3. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    John H. Paul

  4. Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 220 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-3804, USA

    Katharine G. Field

  5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Water Supply and Water Resources Division, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., MS 387, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA

    Jorge W. Santo Domingo

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  1. Richard Devereux
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  2. Parke Rublee
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Correspondence to Richard Devereux.

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Contribution no. 1217 from the NHEERL Gulf Ecology Division.

All authors contributed equally to this publication.

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Devereux, R., Rublee, P., Paul, J.H. et al. Development and Applications of Microbial Ecogenomic Indicators for Monitoring Water Quality: Report of a Workshop Assessing the State of the Science, Research Needs and Future Directions. Environ Monit Assess 116, 459–479 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-7665-7

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